Notice2024-05768
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Alabama Trustee Implementation Group Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan II and Environmental Assessment: Marine Mammals
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 19, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Abstract
The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (Alabama TIG) have prepared the Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan II and Environmental Assessment: Marine Mammals (Supplemental RPII/EA). The Draft Supplemental RPII/EA proposes to use additional funds from the Marine Mammals Restoration Type to extend the implementation of one or more projects currently underway in the Alabama Restoration Area to continue the Alabama TIG's efforts to restore for injuries to marine mammals impacted by the DWH oil spill. The Draft Supplemental RPII/EA evaluates two restoration alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This evaluation includes consideration of the criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) regulations, and an analysis under NEPA's implementing regulations. A No Action Alternative is also evaluated pursuant to the NEPA. The total estimated cost to implement the Alabama TIG's Preferred Alternative--an extension of the Enhancing Capacity for the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network Project--is $1,881,237. If selected for implementation, this action would allocate the Alabama TIG's remaining Marine Mammals restoration funds. The Alabama TIG invites the public to comment on the Draft Supplemental RPII/EA.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 54 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19570-19571]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05768]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
[RTID 0648-XD722]
Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment Alabama
Trustee Implementation Group Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan II and
Environmental Assessment: Marine Mammals
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) natural resource Trustees for the
Alabama Trustee Implementation Group (Alabama TIG) have prepared the
Draft Supplemental Restoration Plan II and Environmental Assessment:
Marine Mammals (Supplemental RPII/EA). The Draft Supplemental RPII/EA
proposes to use additional funds from the Marine Mammals Restoration
Type to extend the implementation of one or more projects currently
underway in the Alabama Restoration Area to continue the Alabama TIG's
efforts to restore for injuries to marine mammals impacted by the DWH
oil spill. The Draft Supplemental RPII/EA evaluates two restoration
alternatives under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) and the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This evaluation includes consideration
of the criteria set forth in the OPA natural resource damage assessment
(NRDA) regulations, and an analysis under NEPA's implementing
regulations. A No Action Alternative is also evaluated pursuant to the
NEPA. The total estimated cost to implement the Alabama TIG's Preferred
Alternative--an extension of the Enhancing Capacity for the Alabama
Marine Mammal Stranding Network Project--is $1,881,237. If selected for
implementation, this action would allocate the Alabama TIG's remaining
Marine Mammals restoration funds. The Alabama TIG invites the public to
comment on the Draft Supplemental RPII/EA.
DATES: The Alabama TIG will consider public comments on the Draft
Supplemental RPII/EA received on or before April 18, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may view and download the Draft Supplemental RPII/EA at
<a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/alabama">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-areas/alabama</a>.
You may also request a flash drive containing the Supplemental RPII/EA
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Submitting Comments: You may submit comments on the Draft
Supplemental RPII/EA by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: <a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ALTIGMM">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ALTIGMM</a>. Follow the
online instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Mail: Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, 31115 Five Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527, ATTN:
Jaime Miller. To be considered, mailed comments must be postmarked on
or before the comment deadline given in DATES.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration--Stella Wilson, NOAA Restoration Center, (850) 332-4169,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b2d5c7ded4c1c2dbdede9cc0d7c1c6ddc0d3c6dbdddcf2dcddd3d39cd5ddc4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="4126342d273231282d2d6f332432352e332035282e2f012f2e20206f262e37">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
On April 20, 2010, the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater
Horizon, which was drilling a well for BP Exploration and Production,
Inc. (BP), experienced a significant explosion, fire and subsequent
sinking in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the release of millions of
barrels of oil and other discharges into the Gulf. Under the authority
of the OPA, designated Federal and state Trustees, acting on behalf of
the public, assessed the injuries to natural resources and prepared the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and
Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
(Final PDARP/PEIS), and the Record of Decision for the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration
Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (ROD), which
sets forth the governance structure and process for DWH restoration
planning under the OPA NRDA regulations. On April 4, 2016, the United
States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana entered a
Consent Decree resolving civil claims by the Trustees against BP.
[[Page 19571]]
The Alabama TIG, which is composed of the Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, the NOAA, Environmental Protection
Agency, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Environmental
Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, selects and
implements restoration projects under the Alabama TIG's management
authority in accordance with the Consent Decree. The Final PDARP/PEIS,
ROD, Consent Decree, and information on the DWH Trustees can be found
at <a href="https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan">https://www.gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov/restoration-planning/gulf-plan</a>.
Background
In September 2018, the Alabama TIG completed the Deepwater Horizon
Oil Spill Alabama Trustee Implementation Group Final Restoration Plan
II and Environmental Assessment: Restoration of Wetlands, Coastal, and
Nearshore Habitats; Habitat Projects on Federally Managed Lands;
Nutrient Reduction (Nonpoint Source); Sea Turtles; Marine Mammals;
Birds; and Oysters (RPII/EA). Twenty restoration projects were selected
for implementation; one of which was Enhancing Capacity for the Alabama
Marine Mammal Stranding Network. That project has been successfully
implemented utilizing Marine Mammal Restoration Type funds identified
in the DWH Consent Decree.
Overview of the Alabama TIG Supplemental RPII/EA
The Trustees are now proposing to commit additional funds to marine
mammal restoration in Alabama. In the Draft Supplemental RPII/EA, the
Alabama TIG analyzes a reasonable range of two project alternatives
and, pursuant to the NEPA, a No Action Alternative. Those alternatives
include:
<bullet> Enhancing Capacity for the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding
Network Project Extension (preferred); and
<bullet> Reducing Illegal Feeding of Bottlenose Dolphins Project
(non-preferred).
Funding to implement either alternative ultimately selected by the
Alabama TIG would come from the Marine Mammal Restoration Type
Allocation. The total estimated cost to implement the Preferred
Alternative is $1,881,237 and would utilize the remaining allocation of
Alabama TIG Marine Mammals restoration funds.
Next Steps
After the public comment period ends, the Alabama TIG will consider
and address all substantive comments received before making a final
decision on which, if any, alternative to fund and implement. A Final
Supplemental RPII/EA and Finding of No Significant Impact, as
appropriate, identifying the selected alternative will be made publicly
available.
Administrative Record
The Administrative Record for the Draft Supplemental RPII/EA can be
viewed electronically at <a href="https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord">https://www.doi.gov/deepwaterhorizon/adminrecord</a> under the folder 6.5.3.2.
Authority
The authority for this action is the OPA of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et
seq.), its implementing NRDA regulations found at 15 CFR part 990, and
the NEPA of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), its implementing regulations
found at 40 CFR parts 1500-1508.
Dated: March 12, 2024.
Carrie Diane Robinson,
Director, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-05768 Filed 3-18-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P
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